Stolen car ring busted by police in Mississauga and Brampton

A car theft ring operating in Mississauga and Brampton has been busted by Peel cops who also recovered a number of stolen vehicles in the process.

Peel Regional Police will reveal details of their latest major auto theft investigation, dubbed Project Vinny, at a press conference scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday morning at police headquarters in Mississauga.

Police haven’t yet said how many people are facing charges, how many stolen vehicles were recovered or how exactly and where the theft ring operated.

Auto thefts have been on the dramatic rise in Mississauga, Brampton and across the GTA and southern Ontario in recent years. In many cases, the criminal operations involve the stealing of luxury vehicles from residential driveways in the overnight hours and subsequent shipping of the vehicles overseas, often to the Middle East and Africa.

Peel Deputy Chief Marc Andrews and Det. Sgt. Mike Mavity, of the 21 Division Auto Theft Unit, will be among police brass at Wednesday morning’s press conference.

Police forces across southern Ontario have been kept increasingly busy chasing down large-scale and sophisticated auto theft rings in recent years.

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Earlier this month, two Mississauga men were among 23 people charged with a total of 279 offences after police across southern Ontario recovered 138 stolen vehicles worth more than $9 million that were destined for the Middle East, Africa and South America.

The arrests came after a series of July 26 police raids at various locations stretching from Windsor to Mississauga.

Various drugs, including cocaine, and more than $170,000 in cash were also seized in the wake of the ongoing investigation, dubbed Project Fairfield and spearheaded by Windsor Police and the OPP.

Peel Regional Police were also in on the operation, which culminated in the execution of 14 search warrants. Those searches led to the recovery of the vehicles, which included luxury vehicles, newer model pickup trucks and SUVs, in addition to a number of other items including the drugs and cash.

Stolen car rings specific to Mississauga and Brampton have also been on the rise, due in large part, police have said, to the region’s easy access to several major highways that allows the vehicles to quickly be moved to their intended destination.